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Complimentary colors for gray


Colors that go with grey – 9 best pairings

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(Image credit: Sasha Adler Design. Photo credit Douglas Friedman)

When it comes to colors that go with grey, you are spoilt for choice. That's because grey is not only the "it" neutral, but also synonymous with style, sophistication, and glamor, and is especially effective when used with other tones. 

The versatility of this shade is such that it makes for a great companion for most tones. From sunny Mediterranean shades, and cooler tones, to even classic crisp neutrals... all work wonders when paired together.

We spoke to several designers to understand the different shades and rules as directed by color theory for finding the perfect match for grey. Take a look at these suggestions and apply them to your home!

What colors go with grey?

'Grey is an ideal colour as it compliments many interior styles and trends,' says Richard Ticehurst, brand expert at Crosswater . 'It is also enormously versatile when it comes to partnering with other colours. Depending on its underlying tones and depth of colour, grey can be partnered with almost any other hue.

'As versatile as grey is, it is important to consider undertones when pairing it with another shade' says Richard. 'Cool greys are best paired with cooler colour schemes, such as blue, green, and light purple, while warm greys better complement reds, oranges, and yellows.  For fans of the monochrome look, incorporate different shades of grey, alongside white and black, to create depth and visual interest.'

 

Journalist

Hebe is an experienced homes writer and editor. She has written hundreds of articles helping readers make the best home design choices, and spends her days interviewing interiors industry experts to bring the latest ideas to her readers. For this piece she spoke to top designers to understand what colors would go best with grey. 

1. Grey and yellow

(Image credit: Bryan O'Sullivan. Photo credit Helen Cathcart)

One of the most uplifting colors that go with yellow is grey. That's because both colors are versatile, and can make as bold or as subtle a statement as you like. Think deep grey with warm yellow, or a light grey with a muted or mango yellow. Both combinations will look eye-catching yet so different.

A grey and yellow combination works particularly well with a modern and contemporary style. You can decide on the quantity of both hues while creating your color scheme. If your base color is grey and you don't want to make a big commitment to accent color, bring yellow in through small accessories.

Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball

This dark lead grey with blue undertones is the perfect color to create a moody interior, and looks fantastic in social spaces such as the living room or dining. The color has a cocooning feeling, perfect for creating a cozy decor.

2. Grey and black

(Image credit: Lindye Galloway Studio + Shop. Photo credit Leslie Brown)

When it comes to decorating with neutrals, two colors that you probably wouldn't think about are grey and black. Yes, we usually think of light tones are neutrals but both grey and black, monotones and deep hues with gravitas too can individually lift a scheme when paired with other lighter colors.

And when paired together, they beautifully offset each other and create a deep, moody interior.

'Just because grey and black are very similar does not mean they can't be used together,' says Lindye Galloway, founder of Lindye Galloway Studio + Shop . 

'Utilizing dark grey with black can create a gorgeous and bold monochrome space. We added different patterns and textures in the shade range to help keep a room visually interesting,' says Lindye. 'We also accented the room with some additional pops of beige in the painting, pillows, and curtains to create more dimension against the dark background without detracting from the bold impact.' 

3.

Grey and white

(Image credit: Brad Ramsey Interiors. Photo credit Paige Rumore Photography)

You can pair a barely-there grey with a crisp white for a bright and airy space or contrast white with deep, moody charcoal. In this grey and white living room to touch of grey in the checkerboard flooring helps to add depth to almost all white space.

'Depending on your styling, the look can either be relaxed and dreamy or quite tailored, but it does always tend to strike a modern Scandi note,' says Sarah Spiteri, Editorial Director of Livingetc. 'The key is to vary the proportions of grey and white; a 50/50 split will feel quite cold. The texture is a vital additional ingredient - chunky weaves, rough timber, and marble all work well.' recommends.

As simple as this paring is though, not all white shades are going to work with any grey shade. The undertones need to work together, so warmer whites are likely to work best with warmer greys, and, cool-toned greys with purer whites.

Just be sure to test out your pairings in your home to ensure they work together in the lighting of your space. 

Grey 15 from Lick

This grey has a lilac undertone and has just the right amount of moodiness and modernity to it. 

4. Grey and pink

(Image credit: Victory Colours)

'Blush pink is the ideal shade for just slightly warming up grey tones without actually adding too much warmth to a space or being too saccharine,' says Sarah. 'A muted, dusky pink will make a room more inviting. For this effect, blush is the right choice as it is more subtle than other pink tones and less daring than red.' 

'Soft, naturalistic greys look beautiful with a neutral pink.' says color expert Annie Sloan. 'I often use French Linen with Antoinette (my earthy-neutral pink), because French Linen is a complex grey that allows the pink to grow and breathe and warm up. It’ll bring out the earthiness and the warmth of the pink. '

And this is why pink and grey living rooms are so soothing – the tones feel welcoming and restful.

5. Grey and earthy reds

(Image credit: Jon Day)

A great color that goes with red is grey, and while it may sound a bit intense, it can work if you pick the right tones. For a bold look pair deep charcoal walls with a pop of vivid red in the form of a statement sofa or armchair. And if you want a more subtle look tone down that red and choose an earthy, terracotta tone and pair it with a lighter cloud-like grey. 

'If I’m using a cool-toned grey I like to use pops of a hot color,' says Annie. 'It’s a very effective way to make a room vastly more lively and rewarding to look at, and you only need small amounts of your accent color. I also love a blue-grey with terracotta as these colors contrast beautifully to give a delicious, juicy, contrast. In the past I’ve painted a wall in grey, then used terracotta tones to accentuate panels on the wall.'

'These spice-inspired colors are a big story at the moment and I love the way that they work with grey,' says Sarah. 'Use the hotter, brighter colors in moderation as more of an accent. This combination is also worth remembering if you have an exposed red brick wall inside.'

When pairing grey with any red tones, be sure that the grey you choose has a reddish undertone too.

6. Grey and sage greens 

(Image credit: Billy Bolton)

Sage green has been growing in popularity for months; you see more sage green kitchens and feature walls than you do navy blue nowadays. And it works so well with grey because they have those same calming, grounding, soft tones and in fact when paired with grey this muted green almost becomes neutral too. Perfect if you want to introduce the second color to a grey room but not lose the overall serene, neutral scheme. 

Pair the palest of greys with a cool, light green for a contemporary combination that works particularly well in kitchens. Then ground all those light, airy colors by adding just a hint of black or dark wood. 

'For a sophisticated and fresh color combination consider introducing a palette of soft pastels to a grey interior scheme. ' suggests Jane Nicholson, co-founder of House of Dome. 'This doesn’t have to be limited to just a  few colors; the delicate nature of muted shades allows you to be a little more experimental. Choose soft furnishing in mixed tones of grey with warm pinks and sage greens.'

7. Grey and navy blue

(Image credit: Paul Massey)

If you are looking for a color that effortlessly works with any grey shade, navy blue is it. Pair it with a soft, light grey to warm up the space, or create some drama with deep almost black grey.

In this blue living room, a muted mustard yellow has been introduced, which perfectly tones down all the cooler tones going on in here. Accessories like rugs and prints, and accent furniture such as coffee tables are perfect for introducing a pop of extra color.

8. Grey and orange

(Image credit: James Merrell)

A pop of vibrant orange is sure to bring freshness into an all-grey scheme. There are plenty of orange tones that the perfect to pair with grey, so you can go bold or as subtle as you like.  

Burnt oranges paired with a mid-grey for example could be the perfect rustic bedroom color scheme whereas a charcoal grey and bright tangerine hue will be more modern and striking. Whatever look you go for, introduce a clean white into an orange and grey color palette to up that contrast and make the orange stand out.

9. Grey and more grey  

(Image credit: Paul Massey)

When choosing color combinations for your home, if a monochromic color scheme is more your vibe, pair grey with grey. Perhaps that sounds a bit...dull but laying grey on grey can create just as interesting a space as pairing grey with any other color. The key is contrast, contrast, and texture. 

You don't want your grey shades to be too close in color and you want to have some varying tones going on too as that will add interest. So pick greys from across the color spectrum, even if you want a room to be light grey overall, add in some middle-ground greys and some dark tones too.

'Whether you are striking a dramatic note or going for a lighter scheme, combining different tones of grey can work very well,' says Sarah. 'Pale shades will create a more relaxed look, while darker, richer hues will have an impact and can enhance the cocooning feel of a compact room.'

The risk with pairing grey with grey is that it can look a bit flat. Avoid this by adding plenty of textures and mixing in some natural materials too like rattan and wood. Accessorize with different materials and finishes too.  

Sarah recommends to 'bring in brass or bronze alongside linen, velvet, or chunky knit. Another trick is to add in warm metallics and subtle shimmers on fabrics, cushions, or rugs to introduce a flattering luminosity to a space.'

Hebe is the Digital Editor of Livingetc; she has a background in lifestyle and interior journalism and a passion for renovating small spaces. You'll usually find her attempting DIY, whether it's spray painting her whole kitchen, don't try that at home, or ever changing the wallpaper in her hallway. Livingetc has been such a huge inspiration and has influenced Hebe's style since she moved into her first rental and finally had a small amount of control over the decor and now loves being able to help others make decisions when decorating their own homes. Last year she moved from renting to owning her first teeny tiny Edwardian flat in London with her whippet Willow (who yes she chose to match her interiors...) and is already on the lookout for her next project.

10 Creative Gray Color Combinations and Photos

What words come to mind when you think of your design style? If sophisticated and timeless describe your home, gray is your color! Similar to white, gray is a neutral color that offers balance. Gray color schemes also create calming environments to relax in after a long day.

Because a variety of colors pair well with this hue, it’s ideal for walls, accessories and furniture. Light shades of silver and cadet gray evoke a feminine vibe, while darker shades like charcoal and gunmetal exude a more masculine feel.

To find inspiration for your decor, select a gray color scheme to see examples of how you can use these colors in your home. Once you have a color palette in mind, browse our home decor for personalized items like candles, fleece blankets, accent pillows and more.

Angora Grey + Beige

Gray + Beige

Your bedroom is your sweet escape. So why not make it a place where you can relax for hours on end? Fluffy whites combined with lighter shades of gray create a calming atmosphere you’ll never want to leave. You can even bring in earth tones like forest green and beige.

Source: NxN PhotographyBack To Top

Stone + Navy

Stone + Navy

Blue is an electric color that brings a room to life. By pairing it with a darker gray, you get a balanced room that isn’t overpowered by blue. You can bring the masculinity of gray and blue down a notch by adding tan and green into the color scheme, making this a vibrant palette for your living room.

Source: Amanda KatherineBack To Top

Dark Gray + Electric Blue

Gray + Light Blue

If you feel like adding a bright pop of color to your bedroom, go for it! Keeping your walls white and accessorizing with gray is a refreshing way to pull off adding a bold color like sky blue into a room.

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Gray + Gold

Gray + Gold

Create a modern and contemporary feel with a dark gray color scheme. Similar to black, gray is moody and blends well with all colors. To make a statement, throw in an attention-grabbing accent color no one expects, like gold.

Source: Style BeeBack To Top

Charcoal + Dark Green

Gray + Dark Green

Gray doesn't always have to set the tone for your decor. Instead, you can use a shade like silver as an accent color and add fresh plants to invigorate the space. It creates an open and clean environment perfect for bringing in energetic colors like aqua, cobalt blue and lavender.

Source: Love and Olive OilBack To Top

Gray + Lime

Gray + Light Green

Simplicity is key when you are going for timeless decor that will stand the test of time. While this may be true, you don’t have to rely on muted colors. Pairing feminine grays with bright pops of color, like neon green, create a sophisticated yet funky vibe.

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Gray + Orange Soda

Gray + Orange

A staple of industrial decor is dark palettes evocative of city life. While shades like charcoal provide a practical element, it’s always fun to mix in more adventurous colors. Peach and orange are two eye-catching tones that bring a creative flair to an otherwise calming palette.

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Dusk + Blush

Gray + Light Pink

Who can resist a little romance? Whether you’re decorating the area surrounding your vanity table or your bathroom, blush and cadet gray are an enchanting color combination. The blue undertones in this gray allow you to pull in green for a refreshing and natural vibe.

Source: Laura Clark PhotographyBack To Top

Gray + Cherry Red

Gray + Red

Sometimes, the best color schemes combine more than one shade of gray. The cool tones create a polished look while a fiery color like red brings passion and energy. Complete the look by splashing an earth tone on the walls to bring everything together.

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Light Gray + Yellow

Gray + Yellow

For a living room full of enthusiasm and good cheer, you need a palette that reminds you of sunshine filled days. Choosing a calming shade of gray that blends with a springy yellow and earth tones will transport you to the great outdoors.

Source: Natalie SeitzBack To Top

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90,000 contrast of additional colors - the art of color (Iohannes Iten)

Colorscheme

Contents:

color. In physics, two chromatic lights that when mixed produce white light are also considered complementary. The two complementary colors form an odd pair. They are opposite to each other, but they need each other. Placed side by side, they excite each other to the maximum and destroy each other when mixed, forming a gray-black tone, like fire and water. Each color has only one single color that is complementary to it. In the color wheel in Figure 3, complementary colors are located diametrically to one another. They form the following pairs of complementary colors:

If we analyze these pairs of complementary colors, we find that all three primary colors are always present in them:

Just as a mixture of yellow, red and blue produces gray, a mixture of two complementary colors also becomes a gray variant.

You can also recall the experience from the section "Physics of Color", when, when one of the colors of the spectrum was excluded, all other colors, being mixed, gave its additional color. For each of the colors of the spectrum, the sum of all the others forms its complementary color. It has been physiologically proven that both the phenomenon of the afterimage and the simultaneous contrast illustrate the amazing and still inexplicable fact of the appearance in our eyes, when perceiving one or another color, at the same time of another complementary color that balances it, which, in the case of its real absence, is spontaneously generated in our consciousness. This phenomenon is very important for everyone who practically works with color. In the section “color harmony”, it was established that the law of complementary colors is the basis of compositional harmony, because when it is observed, a feeling of complete balance is created in the eyes.

Complementary colors, in their proportionally correct ratio, give the work a statically strong basis of influence. At the same time, each color remains unchanged in its intensity. The impressions produced by complementary colors are identical to the essence of the color itself. This statistical power of complementary colors plays a particularly important role in wall painting. However, in addition to this, each pair of complementary colors has other features. So, a pair of yellow - purple is not only a contrast of complementary colors, but also a strong contrast of light and dark. Red-orange - blue-green is also not only a pair of complementary colors, but at the same time an extremely strong contrast of cold and warm. Red and its complementary green are equivalent in their lightness. In order to more clearly grasp the elementary essence of the contrast of complementary colors, we present the following few exercises.

Figures 23-28 show three pairs of complementary colors and their mixtures to achieve a gray tone. The color gradation of the bands formed by mixing each pair of additional colors is determined by the gradual increase in the amount of color added to the main one. At the same time, in the center of each of these rows, that neutral gray appears, which indicates that this pair of colors is additional. If this gray is not obtained, then the selected colors are not additional. Figure 29demonstrates a composition of red and green and various modulations that occur when they are mixed. Figure 30 is made up of squares formed by mixing two pairs of complementary colors: orange and blue and red-orange and blue-green.

In many paintings built on the contrasts of complementary colors, these colors are used not only in their own contrasting qualities, but also form the basis of mixtures, which, on the contrary, serve as a means of tonal alignment of works.

Nature very often shows us such color mixing. It can be seen on the stems and leaves of red rose bushes before the buds have blossomed. The red color of future roses is mixed here with the green color of the stems and leaves, resulting in beautiful red-gray and green-gray shades.

Particularly beautiful grays can be achieved with two complementary colors. The old masters achieved such a colorful gray, for example, due to the fact that the opposite color was superimposed on the main color in stripes or the first color layer was covered with the thinnest layer of an additional color to it.

Pointillists achieved color gray in a different way. They applied pure colors in tiny dots next to each other, and the appearance of the actual gray tone occurred already in the eyes of the viewer.

The following paintings can serve as examples of the use of contrast of additional colors: “Madonna of Chancellor Rolen” by Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), Paris, Louvre; "King Solomon meeting the Queen of Sheba" in Arezzo and the work of Paul Cezanne "Mount Saint Victor", Philadelphia, Museum of Art.

Color wheel, complementary colors in painting and their contrast

Color wheel, complementary colors and their contrast in painting

Video lesson: color wheel, complementary colors in painting and contrast between them, summary

1. In painting, blue, yellow and red are called primary, since mixing other colors you can not get them, but mixing primary colors you can get the rest.
2. If you gradually mix a little red into yellow, and place each slightly redder shade next to the previous batch, making a smooth transition from yellow to red, and then also mix blue into red and yellow into blue, you get a color wheel:


Color wheel and complementary colors on it

*Drawing it perfectly on a computer is rather problematic due to the fact that monitors may not display all colors.
3. Colors that are opposite on the color wheel are called complementary. Mixing them in the right proportions gives a gray color.
4. Our vision is arranged in such a way that if the eye sees colors in the environment of some bright color, then vision gives these colors a tint complementary to the bright color (blue to flowers against an orange background, etc.). Therefore, a neutral gray surrounded by orange will appear blue to us.

*Some people say that the effect is more noticeable if you focus on one gray square and at the same time try to note for yourself what color peripheral vision perceives the adjacent gray square (I don’t know how correct this is). Someone tries to see two gray squares at the same time and compare them. Someone, on the contrary, tries to close all the other colored squares and observe the effect on only one.

5. If one additional color lies next to another, then they give each other even more "strength" and create a particularly strong contrast.

Next lesson: how to use complementary colors in practice

To the list of lessons

Full text of the lesson

What are complementary colors is discussed quite often, but the mind remains a mess. I will try to make it as simple and structured as possible.

What are primary colors

Yellow, red and blue are called primary colors.

Three colors that are enough in painting to mix another desired color. But from other colors, yellow, red and blue cannot be mixed. Of these, you can mix all the colors, but you can’t get them.

This is a limitation of paints as a material. Theoretically, it would be possible to take other colors as the main ones, for example, red, green and blue. This is how a computer monitor works - all the colors on it are obtained from these three. But unfortunately it does not work in paints 🙁

What is the color wheel

The color wheel is such a gradation from yellow to yellow through all the colors of the rainbow. In other words, it's a way to arrange all the colors.

Why did it occur to someone to place them like that? And here's why: if you take the main yellow color, and start adding a little red to it with a brush, then the yellow will become more and more orange, it will become copper-orange, and then completely fiery red. If we start adding blue to the resulting red, then we will mix many different purple colors. And if you gradually add yellow to blue, then at first you get the color of a sea wave, and then more and more frank green. And in the end we will return to yellow. Surely at first someone mixed such a color path in the form of a strip, and then it occurred to him that he could connect its ends.

What are complementary colors

And then it turns out that if you take and mix the colors that are on the circle strictly on the opposite side, you get not a bright juicy color, but gray.

Of course it's not so easy to do, to get a perfect gray gray you need to keep the proportions, but it can be done.

For example, yellow plus purple makes grey. And yellow plus blue is green. And red plus green is gray.

Optical illusions: bright color as background

Our eye works in such a way that when we see an object of a very bright color, such as purple, our eye seems to think: "Wow, the object is so purple that all other objects are anti-violet." Therefore, if we see a bright purple surrounding a speck of gray, then this gray seems to us not gray, but slightly anti-violet. What color is anti-violet? This is yellow, the opposite color on the color wheel.

Learn more